Earlier this month, Operation Commander Major General Charlie Stickland and Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Alfonso Nanclares of EU NAVFOR, met with deployed troops in Djibouti underlining the commitment command has to its deployed personnel.

There were personnel from six different nations serving in the forward logistics hub in Djibouti, these include, French, Spanish, British, German, Lithuanian and Serbian working as part of EU NAVFOR counter-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia. The German and Spanish aircrews man and maintain Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft, where as the Lithuanian and Serbian military personnel board World Food Programme (WFP) vessels providing an armed response in the event of a piracy attack.

Bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Djibouti provides an ideal logistical hub for deployed EU NAVFOR assets. EU NAVFOR warships call on the port in Djibouti on a regular basis to resupply and refuel so they can maintain their vital presence off the coast of Somalia.

Addressing the troops, General Stickland said: “I am delighted to take this opportunity to thank you for your great efforts in providing excellent support to our mission” he went onto add, “without the commitment of deployed personnel like yourselves, we would not be able to maintain the incredible successes of Atalanta”